Attorney Todd Dwire speaking with staff member in conference room

We See The Big Picture In Family Law

Holding Your Former Spouse Responsible For Your Agreement

The final divorce decree details the agreement between you and your spouse on many issues, including division of property, child custody and child support. If your spouse fails to uphold his or her end of the deal, you have the right to enforce the court-ordered agreement between the two of you.

At Dwire Law Offices in Lakeville, Minnesota, our founding attorney, Todd Dwire, has decades of experience assisting clients throughout Rice, Dakota and Scott counties. You can trust him to help ensure that your former spouse adheres to the court order and your divorce decree.

Understanding The Underlying Causes Of Enforcement Actions

When you get a divorce, you negotiate multiple aspects of your settlement, including child custody, child support, alimony and division of property. However, even though the court will order a party to pay support or adhere to a parenting time schedule, some parties may fail to follow through.

Some common issues that may require the enforcement of court orders include:

  • Failure to pay child support
  • Failure to follow the parenting plan or not allowing parenting time with your kids
  • Failure to pay spousal maintenance
  • Failure to turn over property or assets as set out in the divorce decree

At Dwire Law Offices, in Lakeville, Minnesota, our family law and divorce attorney will sit down with you to discuss how your spouse is failing to follow the rules set out by your divorce decree. He will help you determine whether this is something that is worth pursuing in terms of time and expense and what the result may be.

Mediation Vs. Contempt Of Court

In many situations, sitting down with a mediator and talking about the problem can clear things up and make them run smoothly again. Some couples have mandatory mediation language in their divorce decrees to give them the opportunity to work things out between them prior to going to court.

We work regularly with mediators to help couples in conflict over their divorce decrees find ways to resolve their problems. We frequently find this is the simplest and most cost-efficient way of fixing things.

In other situations, where one spouse refuses to comply with the divorce decree, requesting that the court hold that person in contempt may be the only option. Getting the courts involved can potentially put some muscle behind the court orders and may require the person refusing to comply to meet certain requirements or face serious consequences.

We work with you to find the best solution to your current conflict and to help you prevent other problems from happening in the future. Our lawyer will explain all of your options and their possible results, as well as keep you informed of all progress in your case.

Call Dwire Law Offices To Schedule Your Free Consultation

To discuss enforcement of your court orders with attorney Todd Dwire, please contact us at 866-442-9693 or by filling out our online contact form. We offer free initial consultations at our Lakeville office.